$4,495.00

1990 BMW K1

One of the very last PROJECT BIKES that were truly gathering dust in the far back corner of the warehouse at Bob’s emerges to be offered to a new home. Quite a few people saw it during the PROJECT BIKE AUCTION last fall with a NFS sticker on the headlight and inquired. Now, for everyone to drool over, contemplate, etc. is the most unlikely PROJECT BIKE ever offered. As always, please read the text on purchase conditions and ask questions if you have them.

This bike was sold by Bob’s as a very good used bike back in July of 2006 and went to a fine home at that time. That owner logged about 9,000 miles prior to his passing from non-motorcycle related issues. The bike sat in his garage until his family got around to contacting us and having the bike delivered so we could inspect it and make an offer. It was clearly not ridden for some time prior to his death and then it took a while to locate the title so we could legally transact the purchase once we tendered an offer. These things often drag out despite the best intentions of all parties but is now finally available for sale as we have a clear transferable title in hand.

One thing readers and viewers should know up front is that there are never enough K1’s in any color to satisfy the demand we see just here at Bob’s. On a countrywide level I’m sure that’s an ever larger issue. There is never a week that goes by that someone is not asking Bob to sell his red one that now resides in the Museum. This one is a great ten foot bike cosmetically and is not without some mechanical based issues but none would prevent a new owner from getting this bike back on the road the very week they purchase it and take it home.

Our critical tech inspection turned up the following issues: it will need a battery and possibly a fuel pump but as the gas is old and stinky it may just need fresh fuel to start, the battery is holding a charge but is also about 2 years old. If it’s more than just bad gas the fuel injectors might also be gummed up and require a good cleaning which is possible. It does show signs of weepage that could indicate the rear main seal is starting to fail and we also noted that the timing/water/oil pump cover is a little oily. The fork seals should be replaced as well. The last two of those items are expected for a bike of this age and with these miles – it’s maintenance.

It has also been several years since the bike had new tires and while there is serviceable tread they are no longer fresh. Fresh fluids and filters would be a standard no-brainer to also do. We also noted that the ABS control unit was in fault. This could be because the bike has not been ridden in a long time or it may really be a defective ABS unit. Brakes on BMW’s with ABS that have a default in the system are perfectly safe to operate according to BMW but we also believe that if a bike has ABS it should be working. That decision is yours to make. The discs, wheels, exhaust system and basically everything else mechanically all looks clean, solid and as it should be. When it first arrived (March 2012) it passed Maryland Inspection at the same mileage showing on the bike today and did start, run and do everything it needed to at that time – ABD does not need to be functional to pass as the brakes till work as designed.

And now for some more good news! We installed a brand new driveshaft in this bike in 2009 just 1,100 miles back. It comes with a lot of very desirable extras that people would love to buy from us separately to complete their own K1 as this stuff is no longer available (NLA) from BMW. That includes the BMW multi-vario tankbag with expansion section and rain cover plus the three piece rear sport luggage set with that rain cover and all mounting hardware. It is all in excellent condition and looks to have barely been used. The bike is 100% complete except there is no owner’s manual. As you can see even the factory tool kit is included as are the cool factory helmet locks underneath the rear storage lids.

The very hard to find rear seat cowl is intact and in good shape as well. Cosmetically you can see some minor wear and tear, small scratches and even a tiny amount of parking lot tip-over damage in the paint on one side but from 10 feet the bike still looks pretty fine. The left side of the bike looks good too and it was not intentional that that image is not included – the camera had a burp so we’ll get around to adding that back soon. The front fender has the very standard cracks – even Bob’s near flawless example shows signs of these developing. So there you have it. If you want a K1 and your budget is limited this is your chance!

Bob's BMW Motorcycles is one of the largest, most respected BMW dealerships in North America, and the winner of numerous awards for overall excellence, merchandising, customer satisfaction, and community service. Bob’s is well known throughout the world for the passion and professionalism they bring to this business and sport. Bob's impressive brick and mortar Retail store, Dealership and Vintage Museum, serving the bustling Washington DC — Baltimore — Northern Virginia – Suburban Maryland area as well as surrounding mid-Atlantic region is the destination of choice for BMW enthusiasts everywhere for over 30 years. Bob's is a National leader in sales and service of new and used BMW motorcycles along with clean used offerings from most all brands and Bob’s offers complete refurbishing and restorations on any year BMW built since 1950. Since the beginnings in 1981 Bob’s has won praise for their huge inventory of genuine BMW parts, Accessories, and Riding Gear for all riders plus casual Apparel. Their ability to deliver what customers need when they need it is unparalleled. Bob's also specializes in high quality Used BMW motorcycle parts and hard-to-find Vintage BMW parts and accessories. One visit, one phone call or a few mouse clicks opens up the whole world of BMW Motorcycles.